Daniel held his breath, eyes narrowing in suspicion. Technically, a commanding officer could order him to do that. Usually, it was done to transmit classified materials that your average video monitor wasn’t cleared to see, but Daniel doubted that that was happening here. Ordinarily, these overrides were documented and carefully reviewed, but such systems and checks could be gamed or evaded.

  Daniel hesitated to follow the order, but Moravan waited patiently for him to do what he was told. Cautiously, Daniel brought up a Codex screen and input a code. It was the wrong code, and nothing happened, but that was intentional. Daniel was about to close the screen and feign completion of the task, before the captain casually commented, “Wrong code.”

  Daniel held back an irritated expression as he went to type in the correct code, musing, “So it notifies him if his code is used. Good to know.”

  Faking the input had been worth a shot. After Daniel did what he was told properly, he looked expectantly at his commanding officer. Moravan casually signed his approval on his own HUD, and Daniel knew his video was now dark. It was possible that the captain had his own camera, but the young Pioneer suspected that his CO had the authority to turn off his camera unilaterally. The tough-looking captain fixed his fierce gaze on Daniel, and the young man suddenly felt a pressure that wasn’t purely mental. The CO’s body glowed a powerful emerald, and Daniel felt a physical pressure pushing him down to the dirt, as if gravity had increased by 10 times. It wasn’t so bad that he couldn’t resist it, so the young man held his head high and kept his eye on the captain.

  The CO didn’t seem like he wanted to move, so Daniel didn’t either. He looked the man in the eye and endured the pressure even as it began to ramp up. The lingering stiffness in Daniel’s muscles flared up painfully, his body suddenly feeling like it was on fire. When he started to feel lightheaded from the discomfort, Daniel decided he'd finally had enough. He activated the Makiel Protocol, and the pressure nearly vanished as his body strengthened considerably. Daniel glared at the captain, who still hadn’t moved, and folded his arms, as if to say, “Is that it?”

  The glow surrounding the captain faded, and to Daniel’s shock, the CO gave him a big grin. The man’s voice changed as he called out, his tone going from cool and commanding to friendly and excited, “Well, I’ll be a Slothro’s brother! You were telling the truth! And you’ve got some steel in you to boot!’

  Daniel was still suspicious, so he held onto the Protocol and stared cautiously at the captain. Moravan raised his hands in appeasement, relaxing his stance totally: “At ease, Pioneer. I’m not here to fight. That was just a little test. I wanted to see what you could do. Don’t worry. I believe your story, too.”

  Daniel also relaxed, but he didn’t dismiss the Protocol as he asked, “Then why did you tell me to turn off the camera? You looked like you were about to get some frontier justice. And why do you believe me? Even if I’m telling the truth about the Protocol, I could be lying about something else.”

  Moravan waved his hand dismissively, chuckling as he said, “No, no, you’ve got it all wrong. Though I don’t blame you. I believe your story because I knew Marko. He was a little shit if there ever was one. I certainly won’t be cryin’ now that he’s gone. Every action you mentioned was completely within character. The most unbelievable part of your story was that shiny armor you’ve got on there, and you’ve proved its existence clear as day.”

  He stroked his chin, covered in several days’ worth of stubble, like he was proud of himself, “As for the camera, I only wanted to talk in private. If Harlo Korta hears I’ve been talkin’ shit about his son, he’ll be pissed. I don't care much for the man, but there’s no point in my makin’ another enemy. Wife’s always on my case for that.”

  Daniel stared a second longer, then nodded, allowing the armor to vanish into motes of light. Moravan clapped once, saying, “Now that that’s settled, we can move on to the real business of killing Xenos. Speaking of which, you use Meta power to charge that tech o’ yours, right?”

  If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

  Daniel nodded, but Moravan had already retrieved something in a flash of blue light. He tossed it over, and Daniel was shocked to find himself catching a full-charge Meta battery. Moravan elaborated, “Never used much Meta tech myself, so that’s all I can do for you. Call it an apology for shakin’ you up. If your tech is as powerful as it seems, and you make your mark in this fight, I will personally ensure that you get more of those bad boys. This mining operation may be for 630, but I’m sure we’ve got a stash of those lyin’ around for emergencies. Deal?”

  Daniel gave a full salute, his spirits soaring as he belted out his response, “I’ll make it count, sir!”

  Moravan just laughed again, “You’d better! Now let’s go find those other knuckleheads.”

  …

  The mining equipment took the form of a massive cylinder of chrome and reinforced glass, totally covering a hole in the ground at the center of an enormous subterranean room. The passageway leading up to it and the room itself were well-lit with an array of artificial blue lights strung along the walls. The newcomer Pioneers stared at the central apparatus with awe, and one of the lieutenants piped up with a helpful explanation: “630 in its natural state is a gas. It rises from that hole in the ground and is collected in those glass containers. It comes up in fits and spurts.”

  As if on cue, the Pioneers watched as the container suddenly experienced an influx of light red gas with a high-pitched woosh sound, like air being released from an airlock. It wasn’t enough gas to turn the whole container crimson, but Daniel could tell that the insides were a bit pinker as the substance dispersed throughout the chamber. As the Pioneers watched, they were startled by a loud clap. Turning, they saw the captain, who stared back at them sternly. When the CO spoke, it was with a grave tone that cut deep into each of his listeners, “We’ve been taking attacks from Kharnidd and other Xenos for weeks now. The Kharnidd have been nothing special so far, but we suspect they have something dark brewing. Keep your heads on a swivel and your eyes peeled. Clear?”

  The Pioneers saluted uniformly, responding as one, “Sir, yes, sir!”

  They spread out in defensive positions around the apparatus. Their company was the only unit defending this extractor, having relieved the previous guard who were now taking a well-deserved break. Two whole Divisions defended this network, but that was two Divisions defending over fifty extractors. They were stretched thin and were extremely vulnerable to getting picked off if the enemy decided to divide and conquer. Daniel wondered idly if the commanders had considered cutting their losses and concentrating their troops on the most valuable equipment, but whether they had or not, it didn’t matter. He just tried to shake off the feeling of being watched as he peered out at the black maws of the tunnels leading up to their cavern.

  The equipment was defended by three rows of blacksteel barriers, with sharpened spear-like protrusions jutting out from the first row designed to withstand Xenos charges. They wouldn’t do too much against the seriously powerful enemies, but they would give the Pioneers an edge. The men lined up behind the barriers, hoisted their weapons, and waited.

  And waited.

  The following hours were the longest in Daniel’s entire life. The adrenaline flowing through his veins died as nothing happened for what felt like eons. His breath grew more ragged as the poison in the air took a subtle toll.

  The Pioneers’ natural Adaptability allowed them to breathe in the moon’s poisonous and thin atmosphere without dying, but that didn’t mean they weren’t affected. Their bodies needed to work harder than usual to keep them alive in conditions humans had no business surviving. Daniel’s Pneumonic Enhancement improved things, but he wasn’t at 100% as-is, and the attribute was only E class. It was a battle to stay focused and conserve energy as he glared into the abyss, grumbling internally, “Come on, you freaks. Show yourselves.”

  As he was thinking that, he remembered something, “Wait, I have the Oculus Mundi, don’t I? I don’t have to wait for them.”

  Other Pioneers had scanning abilities, and the captain had ensured that at least one such ability was constantly active. But Daniel’s tech could put them all to shame. He turned up the detail, adjusted the range, and let it rip. Only to have his eyes widen in fear. Quick as a whip, his head turned from the caves to the cavern ceiling, his mouth opening in a yell of warning, “Ambush! Above us!”

  Startled, several of his compatriots followed his orders, but they only had a few milliseconds to react. The Kharnidd, who’d been hiding on the high ceiling above, let down their cloaks right at the time Daniel called out his warning, and the young man got his first glimpse of the enemy.

  Their bodies were divided into four hexagonal segments, with three corner segments connecting to a larger, central piece. Each corner segment sported a single eye and four thin legs, each tipped with two small claws that dug into the ceiling and held the creatures aloft. Their bodies were coal dark, as was the standard, besides the vivid yellow pupil in the center of each eye. As the Pioneers looked up, they watched the Kharnidd Skulkers open their mouths. The centers of the creatures’ bodies split open, revealing rows of razor-sharp ivory teeth that gleamed as the beasts began to shine.

  Then the Kharnidd barrage began.